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Bismarck and Alliances
Bismarck's response to the question of how peace was to be perserved in Europe. The alliance system included plans to restrain Russia and Austria-Hungary, to prevent conflict between them, and to isolate hostile France. -
"Satisfied Power"
Germany's claim that they were a satisfied power and they were no longer interested in territiorial expansion. -
Three Emperor's League
This conservative alliance linked Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Russia in an alliance against radical movements. -
The Balkans and Balkan Nationalism
Bismarck, in 1878, resolved Balkan crisis with the Congress of Berlin. This Congress worked out the division of Turkish possessions. Austria-Hungary won the right to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia and Romania won independence, and part of Bulgaria won local autonomy. The Ottoman Empire, however, retained important holdings. In 1903, Balkan nationalism flared up again, in Serbia this time. Serbia became openly hotile towards Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire. -
Triple Alliance/ Central Powers
This was a military alliance between the powers of Italy, Germany, and Austria-Hungary. It promised mutual support in the event of an attack by two of the other great powers. -
Russian German Reinsurance Treaty
This treaty, craftily written by Bismarck, was an agreement of neutrality between Russia and Germany. After German Emperor William II refused to renew it, German enemy, France, began its courtship of "neutral" Russia. -
Bismarck's Resignation
Young Emperor William II Dismissed Bismarck, mainly because of Bismarck's friendly policy toward Russia. Relations with Russia after Bismarck's dismissal immediatly took a turn for the worse. -
Emperor William II
Young and impetous ruler of Germany. Dismissed Chancellor Bismarck, leading to a departure in foreign affairs and a falling out with Russia -
Alexander III and Franco-Russian Alliance
A perliminary agreement between Russia and France was reached in 1891 and they becam military allies in 1894. This alliance was to remain in affect as long as the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria, and Italy) existed. This divided Europe into two rival blocs. -
German Naval Policy
This policy, known as the "risk" policy was Geramny's pre-World War I strategic aim to build the second largest navy in the world, thereby advancing them as a world power. The British saw this as a threat to the national security, and pushed them further away from any alliance with Germany. -
South African War
This hard-fought war was between the British and the Dutch republics of southern Africa. The war mad British leaders realize they had overextended around the world. It brought upon widespread anti-British feelings, and British leaders set about shoring up their exposed position with alliances and agreements. -
Theophile Delcasse and the Anglo-French Entente
France's skillful foreign minister, Delcasse, wanted better relations with Britan, and was willing to accept British rule in Egypt in return for British support of French plans to rule Morocco. The entente settled all colonial disputes between the two nations -
Algeciras Conference
This conference was an international conference to settle the question of Morocco. Due to German agression, Britan and France were forced closer together, and Germany left the conference empty-handed and virtually isolated. -
Schlieffen Plan
The German military strategy on how to attack the French. The decision to invade neutral Belguim in order to attack the French. This decision angered the British and pushed them into joining France and Russia. -
Anglo-Russian Agreement
Battered by revolution and war, Russia agreed to settle quarrels with Britan in Persia and Central Asia. As a result, Germany's paranoia incresead, as did Britan's hostility. -
Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz
Persausive Admiral Tirpitz saw a large navy as a legitimate mark of a great world power and unity. He is seen as the creator of Germany's Imperial Navy, and "risk" policy. -
German Warships
These destructive ships showed off the capability of Germany to build a large modern navy. This further pushed Britain away from having an alliance with Germany -
David Lloyd George
Great British leader, George, saw Tirpitz's navy as a detestable military challenge, and forced Britain to spend the important "People's Budget". Britan had to spend money on battleships rather than social reforms. George would eventually become prime minister and lead Britan through the first world war. -
First and Second Balkan Wars and the destruction of the Ottoman Empire
In 1912, Serbia joined Greece and Bulgaria to attack the Ottoman Empire in what is known as the First Balkan War. Serbia then quarreled over the spoils of victory with Bulgaria, which led in 1913 to the Second Balkan War. Austria intervened and forced Serbia to give up Albania. However, after centuries, nationalism in the Balkans finally destroyed the Ottoman Empire in Europe. -
War Raw Materials Board
When the war began, Walter Rathenau convinced the German government to establish the War Raw Materials Board. The Board rationed and distributed raw materials. Every useful item in Germany was strictly inventoried and rationed. It also succeeded in attempts to produce synthetic rubber and synthetic nitrates, which fueled the war effort. -
The Black Hand
This was a group of Serbian nationalists who wanted to push the Austrians out of Serbia. This group is believed to be the organizers of the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand. -
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austian and Hungarian thrones, and his wife, Sofia, were assassinated by Serbian revolutionaries during a state visit to Sarajevo. This act, was one of the major sparks that ignited the fire that is World War I -
Gavrilo Princip
This man threw a grenade at Archduke Franz Ferdinand. He missed with his grenade throw but capaitalized on a grave mistake by Ferdinand's driver and shot the archduke and his wife in an alley. This man's actions are considered one of the main causes of World War I. -
"Blank Check"
Emperor William II of Germany gave Austria-Hungary unconditional support and a "blank check" in response to Austria's declaration of war. Germany encouraged aggressive measures, even though war between Austria and Russia was highly likely. -
Austria-Hungary's unconditional ultimatum
Austria-Hungary, after the archduke's assassination, presented Serbia with an unconditional ultimatum. The Serbian government had two days in which to agree to demand ceding control of the Serbian state. Serbia refused, and Austria declared war on them on July 28. -
Russian Mobilization
On July 28, Austrian forces bombarded Belgrade, and Tsar Nicholas II ordered a partial mobilization of the Russian army. Russia quickly realized that Russia could not mobilize against Austria without also mobilizing against Germany. On July 29, Russia ordered full mobilization of its army and, in effect, declared general war. -
Subordination of political considerations to military strategy
The German general staff, like Russia, also thought in terms of a two-front war. Their plan called for knocking out France by way of an assault through neutral Belgium. After this attack, Germany believed it could then turn its attention toward Russia. -
Triple Entente/ Allied Powers
This alliance of great powers included Great Britan, Russia, and France. They were checking Germany's vague but real aspirations and strangle Austria-Hungary, Germany's only real ally. -
Hindenburg and Ludendorff
These two German generals combined o badly damage the Russians at the Battles of Tennenberg and Masurian Lakes. With these two generals' success, Russia was to never again threaten Germany -
Battles of Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes
These two battles, fought on the eastern front of World War I, were fought between Russia and Germany. The Russians were badly defeated and damaged in both battles, and woul never again be able to threaten Germany. -
Total War
Each country involved in war, began to plan and control economic and socil life. Free-market capitalism was abandoned, and government planning boards established priorities on what to produce and consume. Rationing, price and wage control, and restrictions on freedom were imposed. This system was the only way to give forth the greatest possible military effort. Even civilians became "soldiers". -
Battle of the Marne
On September 6, the French army attacked a gap in the German line, and for three days put everything into that one attack. The Frech government did everything they could to rush reserves to the troops on the front. The German's finally fell back; Paris had been saved. -
Race to the Sea
The race to the sea refers to each the French and German armies' attempts to outflank one another on the Western front. This "race" led to the infamous trench warfare of World War I -
Trench Warfare
The German and French armies began to stall and began to dig trenches to protect themselves from machine gun fire. An unbroken line of trenches extended from Belgian ports all the way through northern France and into the Swiss fronteir. For day and weeks ceaseless shelling would "soften up" the enemy; then young draftees went "over the top" in frontal attack of the enemy line. The cost of lives of this type of war were staggering, but the territorial gains were minimal. -
Submarine Warfare
In early 1915, Germany launched a counterblockade using the submarine. In May, German subs sank ninety ships in the British war zone. After the Lusitania incident, Germany was forced to relax its submarine warfare, but in 1917, German military command resumed its unrestricted warfare. The Germans believed they could starve the British into submission before the US could rescue them. This caused the last great nation to join the war. -
Lusitania
In May 1915, a German submarine sank the British passenger liner Lusitania, which was also carrying arms and munitions. More than 1,000 people were killed, including 139 American citizens. President Woodrow Wilson vigorously protested, and Germany was forced to relax its submarine warfare for two years; or face certain war with the United States. -
Battle of Verdun
This battle was a major battle fought on the Western Front between Germany and France. This was a devastating battle, with over 306,000 battlefield casualties. It was a tactical victory for the French, and Chancellor Bethmannn-Hollweg was driven from office. -
Karl Liebknecht
Liebknecht was a German radical socialist leader who shouted, "Down with the Government! Down with war!" Shortly after these famous remarcks he was arrested. -
Battle of Somme
This battle consisted of an offensive by the British and French armies against the German Army. The Battle of Somme was one of the largest battles of the war, with over 1.5 million casualties recorded. Another victory for the Entente, Germany decreed ultimate mobilization for total war. -
Deflation of the British Army
At the Battle of Somme, 60,000 British soldiers died, many were from the same city. Churches and the clergy were made to tell the parents of the soldiers that their children would never return home. -
Erich Remarque
Remarque is theauthor the famous World War I book "All Quiet on the Western Front" which painted vivid pictures of the war. -
Abdication
On this date, Nicholas II abdicated his throne after his own soldiers turned against him and joined the revolution. -
Balfour Declaration
This declaration, mad by British foreign secretary Arthur Balfour, declared that Britain favored a "National Home for the Jewish People" in Palestine, but without prejudicing the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities. -
Treaty of Brest-Latovsk
With this treaty, Russia lost a third of its old population. However, with peace, Lenin was able to escape the certain disaster of continued war and was now able to pursue his goal of absolute political power for the Bolsheviks in Russia. -
Second Marne
The Second Battle of the Marne was the last major German Spring Offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The German attack failed when an Allied counterattack led by French and American forces overwhelmed the Germans, inflicting severe casualties. -
German Revolution
The German Revolution of 1918 saw a genuine popular uprising welled up from below, toppled an authoritarian monarchy, and brought the establishment of a liberal provisional government. Liberals and moderate socialists took control of the central government, while workers' and soldiers' councils formed a counter-government. -
Armistice
With revolution in Germany and army discpline declining, the emperor abdicated and fled to Holland. Socialist leaders proclaimed a German republic and agreed to tough Allied terms of surrender. The armistice went into effect on the eleventh of November; the war was over. -
Peace Conference of Paris
The Peace Conference of Paris opened with seventy delegater representing twenty-seven victorious nations. Expectations were high, and there was general optimism. The real powers there included, the United States, Britain, and France; Germany was not allowed to attend and Russia did not attend because of its civil war. Almost immediatly, however, the Allies began to quarrel. -
Georges Clemenceau
Clemenceau, of France, who had basically led his country to victory wanted good old-fashioned revenge against Germany. He wanted lasting security for France. He believed in the creation of a buffer state between France and Germany, the permanent demilitarization of Germany, and vast German reparations. In the end, France compromised and agreed to a formal defensive alliance with the United States and Great Britan. -
Treaty of Versailles
The treaty, between the Allies and Germany, reasonable terms as a first step toward re-establishing international order. German colonies were given to the Allies as League of Nationsm mandates. Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France, but German territorial loses were generally minor. Germany had to limit its army to 100,000 men and agree to build no military fortifications in the Rhineland. Germany also took full resposibility of the war and had to pay reperations accordingly. -
War Guilt Clause
The War Guilt Clause forced Germany to say that they alone caused World War I and that it was therefore right and proper that they had to pay reparations. It justified the Allies demands for reparations and humiliated the German government. -
League of Nations
President Wilson was the spokesmen for a new idealistic and democratic international cooperation. He was determined to create the League of Nations. He believed that only a permanent international organization could protect member states from aggression and avert future wars. -
"All Quiet on the Western Front"
Erich Remarque's great novel describes the horrors of trench warfare during World War I. It describes men's skulls missing and men with no feet, and says for a few hundred yards here or there. -
Otto Dix
Dix, a famous was a German painter and printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of Weimar society and the brutality of war. -
Vera Brittain
Brittain was an English writer, feminist and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during World War I and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism.
